Discontinued · road · Tempo / Long run · $200
The Alphafly's training twin: Air pods, nylon plate and big stack.
Built for tempo, long run, at a target pace of 6:15–8:30 /mi on road.
This model is no longer in production. The closest shoe you can buy today is Nike Zoom Fly 6.
Nike tuned this midsole soft (4/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is above average: the midsole rebounds well without feeling unstable. At 42 mm of heel stack this sits in max-cushion territory; legs stay fresher on long efforts, but the platform is tall. Combined, the ride reads as snappy at 4/5 responsiveness.
A nylon (or PEBA-blend) plate adds structure without the harsh stiffness of carbon. You get a firmer, more propulsive toe-off that still flexes at slower paces, which is why nylon-plated shoes double as workout and long-run shoes rather than race-day-only tools.
A tall 10 mm drop tips weight forward off the heel, which usually suits heel strikers and calves that dislike low-drop shoes. The rocker is aggressive: the sole is curved and stiff enough to tip you into the next stride on its own, which saves the calf on long runs but feels strange when you slow right down. The forefoot is stiff, so it rolls rather than bends — a lever, not a slipper. Support is light — neutral, with a mildly steady platform.
The toe-box is standard width — comfortable for most feet without swimming. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 300 miles from the outsole, about $0.67 per mile at $200.
For the foams and plates Nike uses across its line, read the Nike brand guide.
Measured against the 542 currently-available shoes in the catalog. The bar shows where this shoe sits in that range.
Weight
260 g / 9.2 oz
15 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
42 mm
6 mm taller than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
10 mm
4 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$200
40 pricier than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
4 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
4 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
4 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~300 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Nike line it is lighter than the brand's median (295 g / 10.4 oz) and sits taller than its median stack (36 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
Under Armour Velociti Pro 2
252 g / 8.9 oz · 37 mm · 8 mm drop · Nylon · $160
Beaded HTPU speed trainer with a plated snap at a friendly price.
Mizuno Neo Vista 2(2025)
266 g / 9.4 oz · 44 mm · 8 mm drop · Nylon · $175
Plateless max-stack Enerzy NXT — soft, wide and surprisingly light.
Mizuno Wave Rider 29(2025)
265 g / 9.3 oz · 39 mm · 10 mm drop · Nylon · $145
Enerzy foam with a mild Wave plate — a firm-but-friendly classic daily.
Saucony Endorphin Speed 4(2024)
235 g / 8.3 oz · 38 mm · 8 mm drop · Nylon · $170
Nylon plate rolls you forward without the harshness of carbon.